Two killed in early morning crash in West Bridgewater

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

A driver heading the wrong way on Route 24 in West Bridgewater caused a multi-car crash early Sunday morning that claimed the lives of a teenage girl and a man in his 40s, State Police said.

“The crash was horrific, first and foremost because of the human toll,” David Procopio, a spokesman for the State Police, said in an email.

He said the crash occurred at about 4 a.m. on the northbound side of the highway, and that investigators believe the girl, a southeastern Massachusetts resident, was driving southbound on that side at the time of the accident.

Procopio said the wrong-way vehicle struck a pick-up truck, which burst into flames and killed the man, who had been driving. A female passenger from Rhode Island managed to get out of the truck and is expected to survive her injuries, according to Procopio.

He said State Police are investigating what caused the wrong-way driver to begin traveling southbound on the northbound side of the highway. It is too early to say whether alcohol was a factor, he said.

It was not clear how the third vehicle was involved.

Three vehicles were severely damaged in the crash, Procopio said, and debris was strewn across both sides of the highway. A fourth damaged vehicle was also visible at the scene.

Lanes were closed on both sides for much of the morning. State Police said all lanes and ramps had reopened as of about 10:35 a.m.

The victims have not been identified, pending family notification.

Further information on the crash was not immediately available.

Separately, a Salem, N.H. man was killed this morning when he suffered a medical incident and crashed into a guardrail on Interstate 495 in Andover, Procopio said.

Globe correspondent Jeff Fish contributed to this report. Travis Andersen can be reached at tandersen@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @TAGlobe.